Pinstripes and Politics
by silentnights626
Summary: If there is one thing that Sen. Edison Davis knows, is Olivia's distaste for pinstripes


**Hi. So I watch Scandal and I love Olivia Pope's... well her everything. LOL But I think I'm really intrigued by her past relationship with Edison Davis, the tall drink of water Senator who is her ex. I mean what was the deal there? Well since I feel that Shonda will be giving us the tea on that in a few, I came up with my own theories of why these two broke it off. So I pened this one shot about them. **

**So something I always ask my readers to do is:**

**Read, Enjoy, and Review (if it moves ya to do so)**

* * *

"What are you wearing?"

He heard from behind his head as he adjusted his tie in front of the bed room mirror. He gazed over his right shoulder to view the person who was questioning his fashion sense. He looked into the large sable eyes of his fiancé of two months as she ran them over his tall frame as she leaned on the door frame of their shared bedroom, as she dined on her morning yogurt. Her nose tuned up as if the most sour of skunks had sauntered into the room as she took him in.

"A suit" he answered indignantly as if were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Yes, that is a suit" she replied "but what _kind_?" she shot back in a way that a mother would ask their child when they are helping them with their homework, trying to guide them towards the correct answer, but not giving them outright.

"What?" he asked looking down at the slacks of his suit "It's pinstripe" he replied turning to face his love.

"Exactly" she proudly exclaimed while slipping her spoon into the container. Her tone suggested that his answer alone was the key to why his choice was all wrong.

"What? I like my suit" he answered turning to look at himself again, taking its coat off of the hanger.

"Oh Edison" She huffed disappointed that his mind was set on that particular suit. "Yeah and you know who else likes pinstripe suits? Untrustworthy preachers" she quipped as she walked briskly into the room toward their closet. "Do you want to be likened with a two dollar storefront preacher near the end of your Senate run?" she asked.

"Liv" he sighed dramatically as he rolled his eyes "This is a nice suit"

"Uh huh" she agreed in a manner that always let Edison know that Olivia had herd him but had her mind set on what her gut was telling her was correct. "Well how about this, the lines of that suit on television tend to move causing the eye to be drawn to it and not the man in it. Therefore your constituents, instead of listening to you plans as Senator, will instead be watching the waiving lines of that suit in some hypnotic trance" she said rapidly as she located a martinizing bag that was hanging in his suit section. She ripped the plastic off, placing the suit in front of his long lean body. She admired the deep navy, almost off black fabric against his brown skin and smiled. "There" she said softly "That is a better look" she pointed out, turning Edison toward the mirror for him to admire what she saw. "This suit says power, leadership, taste. This suit says "I Edison Davis, is the man for the job, and you should vote me to be your Florida State Senator"" she smiled.

"And you don't think my words will do that" he questioned looking at her reflection of her big brown eyes in the mirror, her hair in a messy high bun. She was dressed comfortably in her lounging sweats and thin matching hoodie. It always impressed him that even in her comfortable clothing, Olivia still had a way to look totally pulled together.

"Well yes my love, they will" she agreed as he turned around in her arms to face her. "But you know what I say, "Words help but-""

"My actions come through the loudest" he finished with a smile having heard her personal philosophy enough to know it like the back of his hand.

"Uh huh" she nodded in agreement with a smile "and the "_action_" of you wearing this suit backs up your amazing speech" she smiled

"Oh so you finished reading it?" he smiled wrapping his large strong hands around her waist, pressing their bodies together, all that separated them was his suit.

"Yes I did" she nodded gazing up at her man, as he towered over her petite frame. She had never told him so out loud, but she loved when he stood so close to her, hovering above her, his cologne wafting softly to her nose. It was a strong smell but not overpowering. She pulled closer to him taking a large wift of him.

"And?" he asked expectantly, knowing if there are any errors, any miscues, he could count on his Liv to tell him.

"It's perfect" she cooed as he let off a sigh of relief. "And if you read it just as it is, you are a shoe in"

"Really? You think so?" he asked. Edison, though never really insecure, at times needed reassurance and the best was from the brilliant woman in his arms.

"You have my vote" she smiled before feeling the press of his lips against hers as he gave her a sweet and chase peck.

"Thank you" He said softly as he bent down pressing his forehead against hers.

"You can thank me… _AFTER_ you change" she smiled, playfully slamming her suit choice into his chest. He chuckled taking the suit from her hands and sighed. Olivia perched on the bed of their beautiful Miami condo and gazed out onto the waters as they glistened from the morning sun. She ate another spoonful of yogurt as she watched him shimmy out of his slacks. "So I was thinking" she began cautiously as she eyed him while he gently removing the non pinstriped pants from its hanger, giving them one aggressive shake before stepping into them, "how about I come today?"

Edison looked up into he waiting face "I thought you had a meeting today with the wedding planner?' he replied as he looked back down to his pants stepping into them carefully.

"Well I do" she shrugged scooting closer to the dressing man. "But I don't think it will take that long" she shrugged "I mean we don't have to set everything right at this moment. The weddings like a year away, and I think I could help"

"Baby" Edison huffed as he zipped his fly, "we talked about this. I know you want to help, but Jordan and the guys-"

"Jordan and the guys" she repeated with a knowing huff, cutting him off before he could repeat himself.

"Jordan and my team have it" Edison finished taking a seat on the bed next to Olivia, taking her delicate brown hands into his own. He reassuringly rubbed his thumb over them, caressing her silky skin was. "Look Liv I know you want to help, and I know you're good-"

"_Great_" she corrected sternly. "I am _great_ at what I do" Edison knew her tone well. It was the one she took when she was on the defense, when she felt he was taking her too lightly for her taste.

"But I need you here. And you said you could do that for me, for us" he reminded. "With the elections only a few days away, I need you here for me, not running around making secret deal, or whatever you do with only God knows who" he huffed. It always bothered him that no matter how closed he felt to the woman he was about to enter a life of matrimony with, the one part of her life he could never fully crack was how she was able to get the things she did done. It were as if she had some secret power that she had to keep from him, and the way she spoke about her specialty, it was as if she did it for his protection. He felt like the Lois Lane of their relationship, and she was Clark Kent with him, but Superwoman in her business dealings. He simultaneously respected and feared that side of her. "Not this close to the election"

"But Edison, this gift that I have, that you are privy to, it is an asset" she advised him. "Many men in your position would take advantage of it. In fact" she said standing and walking towards their sliding doors, which lead out to a balcony with a breathtaking view. She paused, taking a breath before revealing her plans. She wrapped her arms around her before admitting "I was thinking of starting my own service. A lot of people can benefit from my talents"

Edison froze. He looked into her hopeful and slightly pleading eyes. It was the second, not the first, emotion that scared him. He knew she held hope in her heart, from the moment they met, she always held that characteristic about her. From when he was first starting in his political career until now, on the precipice of his possible biggest election victory to date, she always looked at him with hope. But one thing Olivia was not was some one who begged anyone for anything. It was a trait that Edison zeroed in on her right off the bat. That second emotion stirred something in him, it meant that she really wanted this, to start this service. And if Olivia Pope wanted something, he knew come hell or high water what she wanted would come to fruition.

"Look Liv" he started, looking down at his hands as he leaned forward resting his elbows on his muscular thighs. "I love you. You are like no other woman I have had the pleasure of knowing. You're beyond brilliant. But when you accepted that ring, when I told you about my political ambitions, you agreed to certain things. And one of those things was the fact that your talents where yours alone, and that because of the nature of them, you would have to stop because of the possible repercussions they could have on my career. Now you said yourself you are always on the right side of the law, but from what you have told me, which is very little might I add, that you take a muddy way to get to that side."

"Edison" Olivia interrupted, a slight longing in her voice

"Now I have accepted that what you do may not always take the, "cleanest" path." he continued determined to put his foot down. "But I can't have any of that mud on me. I am a black man in the political game, so I am already a target. But any political affiliations or missteps and I am out of the race forever. Your connections are amazing Liv, but all I have separating me from elected office and unemployment is my public image. Now you know this campaign, this office is an even closer move to the bigger picture"

"The White House" she responded, knowing that it, and not Senate was his ultimate goal.

"And we are closer my love. You and me, we can be there. Me the leader of the free world, and you the most poised First Lady the nation has seen." he smiled walking towards her, sliding his hands down her arms, to her hands. "Our babies running around the Rose Garden" he smiled as if he were looking out of the windows of the Oval office. "We can be closer. But that won't happen if one of your business dealings blocks that for us" he pleaded. "So I will ask you again, can you be okay with me in your life where you are not running around at 4 am as an image "fixer"?" he asked.

Olivia looked into his eye, but never answered. She simply sighed "You better finish dressing. We wouldn't want Jordan to have to wait for you" She slid out of his arms disappointed and quietly slinked out of their bedroom.

"Senator Davis?" the production assistant called to the day dreaming man, as he sat in front of the large mirror in the green room of the political show. He looked towards the door, into the face of a twenty something young man, with the clipboard in his hands, and head set with microphone attached to it. "Five minutes" he called out to him.

"Thank you" Edison nodded, and turned back to the mirror. He stood up as the following days of that conversation floated in his head. The night of his win, he noticed Olivia has slipped out of his victory party early. When he made it back to the condo, he found her side of the closet empty. Her pillows cushioned the box that held her four carte diamond engagement ring. The note next it simply said "I never want to stand in your way, nor my own. With love Liv." He stared at her handwriting for hours, his heart broken, knowing that although he had won his election, he had officially lost his compass. And although politically he thrived as a Senator, he knew his biggest misstep, personally, and career wise, was losing Olivia due to that very job.

Through his term, her name because stannous with results, becoming linked to the White House in a very different way then he had planned years earlier. And although to hear it still stung a bit, all he could feel was pride when anyone whispered her name in the halls"The Hill". He had attempted to get into contact with her over the years, however she refused to even take a phone call from him. He could never tell if it was out of anger or protection for the one thing, other than her he held so dear, his political image. He smiled as he put on his suit jacket and straightened his tie, knowing that soon he would at the very least have a good chance to ask her, knowing she would have to get into contact with him after this interview. "Well Edison" he said to himself "Let's see if this works"

"Senator, phone call" Jordan said to him as he was handed his phone.

"Hello?" he asked wondering who had the gall to call him right in the middle of a live taping.

"You're wearing pinstripes. Pinstripes on primetime?" was the question that answered his.


End file.
